Introducing Remy from Clarke's Cove....

 Not much sewing this week, as I have been watching my nephew, Remy.
 Remy just turned one year old and is such a joy.  He loves Clemson, where his big brother is a junior, and is dressed in Clemson orange.  Today he helped Uncle Russ fill the bird feeders before the winter weather moves in, and visited the "old man's garage" to play on the tractor and in the mustang.  He will carry an old cell phone around for hours and loves the TV remotes.   We get to spoil him and that is the fun part!

  Jen, Remy's mom, is out of state for a wedding this week.  And today the mail brought us a package from her.  Jen is an artist and makes wall art out of natural and found materials....old crab traps, driftwood, fishing nets, etc.  She customizes each one and ours is no exception.  We just love it.    The small boat on the dock is named "SS stitch and sew"!

So special.  

 Thank you, Jen and Dan.

Zen Something?

Zen garden, zen mat, zen challenge thing.....whatever I call it, the piecing is completed.  This is so out of my box!   I tried about 6 arrangements on the design wall, and luckily I used a favorite tool--digital camera--to help me visualize it all.  Wouldn't you know I settled on the first arrangement I laid out!   Thank goodness, I had a photo to go by.
I used 3 different blacks for the background, which is hardly noticeable...and a lot of  "creative" piecing.  Actually I worked in sections adding strips and hunks to widen or lengthen  the area to fit to the next section.  Then I added a 3 inch border.   It is about 16 inches by 44 inches before I quilt it.

I had only intended to use one of the fabric circles, and now I think I need to use both and create another one.  I think I will do another zentangle on some hand dyed fabric that I did last summer.   And then the quilting....which is the fun part for me.  

Since I was taking photos, I snapped a quick one of the folded fabric pinwheel.

The pinwheel block is a 6 inch block. 

Now, to clean up the sewing room and get dinner.
Happy stitching.

It was so rainy over the weekend that I thought we would float away.  Two inches is a lot of rain.  So on Saturday  I stitched up about 80 blocks for the President's signature quilt for our guild.  I know it sounds like a lot, but really they are very simple.  Just three pastel  strips  per unit.  All are now pressed and ready for the signature strip to be added.
I also finished up the remaining zentangles for my challenge.  I am now ready to get it assembled.  I want to create the feel/look of  a  zen garden...with my twist on it.   Russ and I visited  one while in North Carolina last summer.  Very quiet and peaceful  and just steps from the road.   The zentangles will be the "stepping stones" through the "sand"---which will be  black fabric heavily quilted with close curves.  One of the required fabric circles will be the round element in the garden.  
I also tried the small folded fabric pinwheel that Carol posted on her  blog.  It turned out really cute.  I may have to do more of these and make a small wall hanging.  It's a great way to use small squares.

Exercises for creativity?

I have all four strip sets of the french braid done and up on the design wall.  Right now I am auditioning fabric to be used in the separator bands.  I originally thought I would piece the separator bands, but now I think not.  I have two different batiks that have strong dark and light areas and I will probably choose one of them to use by itself.  That's why it is still on the design wall....each time I walk in and look at it, I change my mind on the selection!  I have plenty of small projects to do, so there is no rush in deciding. 
I read through the first chapter in the Art Quilt Workbook that came in the mail yesterday.  Elin (one of the authors) was right in her comment, I am going to enjoy working through it. I thought it was so neat that she found my blog and left a comment. 
The first chapter briefly covered design principles---like I mentioned in an earlier post.  In the section on visual elements of design, one statement jumped out at me. Line direction communicates movement and direction.  Horizontal lines are calm and passive.  That was how I felt about the horizontal layout design in my Turning 60 quilt....a very calming effect!  
And the section on the creative process is great.  My post on my creative thought process for the guild challenge  explained how I got through my block.  Little did I know that there are a lot of ways to get past this.  And this section gives me insight to other ways to improve my creativity and get over the wall/block/stump/mountain!  First step is to do the  first exercise they suggest, which is word play.    Got my plan, now I need to get to work.
Happy stitching.

Challenge and Zentangles

I love it when an inspiration hits! 
The two fabric circles in the photo are the basis of our guild challenge for 2010.  Sarge referred to it as "the circle of creativity" challenge.  After 5 months of un-inspiration, I came up with the zentangle (drawn on paper) on the right in the photo and a plan for my challenge entry.
The creative thought process......
First:  I really don't do circles in my quilting, or rather in my piecing.  So that was my block.  BLOCK--exactly!  I needed to be able to put the circle in a block or rectangle, something with straight edges.
Second:  Next thought that clicked....zentangles.  Zentangles are  really just doodles and suppose to have a calming influence, which I needed.   And I have always liked pen and ink type drawings. 
 Third:   So, why not take a section of the pattern in the circle and use it in a zentangle?  And create movement by using the curve of the circle.   Then fill in the background with "stippling" like quilting free motion.
Thus the example on paper is the first zentangle using elements from the two fabric circles and now the basis of my challenge.   Wait.....the  challenge needs to be quilted item!  Not made of paper. 
Fourth:  How do I get the zentangle design to fabric.  Applique--no way.  Scan and print onto Printed Treasures--possible but costly and difficult to work with.  Paint--messy.  How about ink, that's it.  Use Pigma pen to draw and color in the zentangles directly onto fabric. 

Fifth:  I used freezer paper to stabilize the solid color fabrics I pulled from my stash.  I selected colors that were close to the colors in the challenge squares and ironed them to freezer paper.  Next, I drew different size squares and rectangles on the fabric.  While watching 24 (I just love Chloe and  have to see Jack save the world) last night, I doodled 3 of these zentangles. 

Yes, these are done free hand....didn't even know I could draw!  I did use a round plate to create the first curved  line to begin, but the rest of the doodles are just parts of the design from the fabric.  I really like the bamboo leaves. 

Tonight I plan on doing a couple more on blue fabric.   The design for the layout is not completely formed in my head, only a vague idea so far.  But since I have some focus, I am sure it will come together.

So thank you to Delia for giving me inspiration!

Happy stitching.

Infections and the computer and zentangles

Both the computer and I got infected on Friday.  I got whatever my husband had last week and ran a fever Friday and Saturday.  In the meantime, the computer got a virus/Trojan  (run your virus scan at least 3 times a week and always on Friday!).  So it was 10 hours on the phone Saturday to get it fixed.  We found traces still this morning and have just gotten back up and running.  Russ told me to sit in the sun and read, and let him deal with the computer.   Another light bulb moment! 
I read on Delia's blog about zentangles.  It intrigued me, so I googled to find out about it last week.  I sat in the sun  today and doodled a few zentangles.  Inspiration was the small circle of fabric for our guild challenge this year.    I have been looking at that small fabric piece since September and  was totally uninspired.  I think an idea is sprouting for the challenge finally.   I won't be doing anything large with this, probably a  small banner  or maybe a "zen mat"!   At least I am calmer now and have a focus for the challenge. 
Here's hoping for a better week.  Happy stitching.

My Featherweight Story

I nicknamed my featherweight "Stinkpot".  Three  reasons for the name.  First, my Dad, who always found a nickname for everyone, called my daughter "Stinkpot".  I think it was in reference to the diapers!  And second, it was Deana who bought the featherweight at a yard sale while she was in college in Philadelphia.  I think she paid $28 for it.   And third, when I opened the case, it smelled bad!  I have read that it is very typical of the old machine cases....lots of mold, etc.  A little vinegar cleaning and baking soda helped rid the smell.

Deana stayed in Philly after college and worked for several years.  The featherweight was given to me to keep for her until she had room for it.  Then in 2001, my machine died and I bought a replacement that I was not happy with as it spent a lot of time in the shop being repaired.  In frustration I pulled the featherweight out and  got it cleaned and oiled and it sewed like a dream.  Such beautiful even stitches on that tiny thing.  I pieced a king size top on it that summer.  

Then life interfered...family deaths, selling a house, moving to a new one, that kind of thing.  The featherweight was moved too and stored in the closet of the new sewing room.  When I got back to stitching again,  I bought a mechanical Janome for $200, rather than deal with the machine I did not like.  But at a workshop a year later, the Janome began to make horrible noise...like a jack hammer.    Could it be time for another machine?  Or did I just need a lighter weight machine to haul around to workshops and Bee night?

Light Bulb moment...... I had the perfect machine for classes and taking to Bee, the featherweight! 

That was probably 3 years ago and the featherweight is used on a regular basis now.  And several of the  girls at Bee have found their  own featherweights, too. 
Two years ago, Russ bought me a padded case to carry Stinkpot in, and she went with us to the mountain cabin for Christmas this year.   Oh, and I researched the history of this specific machine (see the links section for featherweight info).....she was made in Scotland in 1949.  I'm a little silly about such things....I was born in 1949 too, so I know she was meant for me.